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French Guiana Economy Profile 2006

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Economy - overview

The economy is tied closely to the much larger French economy through subsidies and imports. Besides the French space center at Kourou (which accounts for 25% of GDP), fishing and forestry are the most important economic activities. Forest and woodland cover 90% of the country. The large reserves of tropical hardwoods, not fully exploited, support an expanding sawmill industry that provides sawn logs for export. Cultivation of crops is limited to the coastal area, where the population is largely concentrated; rice and manioc are the major crops. French Guiana is heavily dependent on imports of food and energy. Unemployment is a serious problem, particularly among younger workers.

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$1.551 billion (2003 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

NA

GDP - real growth rate

NA%

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$8,300 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: NA% 6.6%
industry: NA% 15.6%
services: NA% 77.8%

Population below poverty line

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1% (2003)

Labor force

62,630 (1999)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 18.2%
industry: 21.2%
services: 60.6% (1980)

Unemployment rate

19.2% (December 2003)

Budget

revenues: $135.5 million
expenditures: $135.5 million; including capital expenditures of $105 million (1996)

Industries

construction, shrimp processing, forestry products, rum, gold mining

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Electricity - production

465.2 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - consumption

432.6 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

6,600 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products

corn, rice, manioc (tapioca), sugar, cocoa, vegetables, bananas; cattle, pigs, poultry

Exports

$137.5 million f.o.b. (2003)

Exports - commodities

shrimp, timber, gold, rum, rosewood essence, clothing

Exports - partners

France 62%, Switzerland 7%, US 2% (2004)

Imports

$625 million c.i.f. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities

food (grains, processed meat), machinery and transport equipment, fuels and chemicals

Imports - partners

France 63%, US, Trinidad and Tobago, Italy (2004)

Debt - external

$800.3 million (2003)

Economic aid - recipient

$NA

Currency (code)

euro (EUR)
note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions within the member countries

Exchange rates

euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

Fiscal year

calendar year


Source: CIA World Factbook
Unless otherwise noted, information in this page is accurate as of January 1, 2006


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